Simple recording session

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I've been hired to record songs for a synagogue and assemble separate recording into one song due to Covid. The audio guy usually does this is unavailable so I'm filling in the best I can. Setup is a piano and a singer, then accompanying vocalists will be added individually in separate sessions.

I've observed the process that was previously done: record the lead and pianist, then playback that session through headphones to the accompanists while recording them.

I have a MixPre 6 and laptop with daw (Reaper). Can this be done with just the MixPre or would it be easier to use the laptop daw and the MixPre as the interface?

I've never played back while recording. Is this hard to do?

[Paul R Johnson]

If the remote people are recording solo - the simplest system (after lots of abortive ones) is to put the guide audio on YouTube, and then get them to perform to that on the computer, pad or tablet, and record their audio on a phone. It can sometimes help to add a gentle click, or count in - depending on how the piece starts - if it's singing on the first note, then also give them a chord at the start, or a single tone - whatever they are use to. Most will have two phones in the household if they don't have a computer or pad.

You mention recording - will you be present, and I assume there's video too? Any playback will work really - but you end up with loads of tracks and you just have to sync them - that's actually not that hard to be fair.

[Allan Black]

Pete, record the piano and singer on separate tracks for better control in the mix. Sounds like the individual singers will add up to become a chorus, if so it’d be better to record them all together, individually it’s going to be a job mixing them.

A big factor will be how much time you have to prepare, I’d call around your local studios to find one or two engineers who have MixPre time. You might find some answers on YouTube ...

MixPre M-Series Tiptorial - Monitoring while Overdubbing - YouTube

Cheers.

[Paul R Johnson]

Sorry - I totally misunderstood - I thought the people were being added remotely due to covid.

Just give them the headphone feed through in-ears. once you have the recording of the piano and the singer - just mute the tracks as you record them so each person hears the singer. However, the only drawback will be the timing of the individually recorded singers. They will come off notes at different times. IF they're really good, they'll be better at it - but most singers are good at coming in in time, and less good at when to go out. Do they use a conductor? Can that person be there for the sessions - because that will give you cohesion.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I'm actually doing remote sessions where they recorded themselves but for this discussion I'm focusing on a recording session that will be in person next week.

Because of covid everyone isn't allowed to sing together. I'll be there physically to record individual sessions. The first will be the lead and pianist and then each chorus member will come in separately to be recorded, they will need to listen with headphones the previously recorded lead/pianist and sing along, then I'll mix them together.

Since I posted this thread I was able to connect my MixPre to my laptop with DAW and record one track while playing back another track. While it works it's weird since I'm use to monitoring what's being recorded in this scenario I'm not. There's probably a better way but this is all new to me.

[Allan Black]

You maybe over complicating it Pete. That video above shows how to overdub more singers on your MixPre, it would depend on how big your chorus is.

I agree with Paul’s explanation of recording them one at a time and you do need a good conductor listening on headphones. I’m assuming your chorus is singing parts? So if you can, when you record them individually start with the best chorister singing the part closest to the lead first, that’ll really help the others, your conductor should help here. If some have trouble singing and syncing, ask others to come back in and sing their parts.

And carefully watch your track select, sounds like your session might run over a couple of days.
Cheers.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Allan Black

Pete, record the piano and singer on separate tracks for better control in the mix. Sounds like the individual singers will add up to become a chorus, if so it’d be better to record them all together, individually it’s going to be a job mixing them.

A big factor will be how much time you have to prepare, I’d call around your local studios to find one or two engineers who have MixPre time. You might find some answers on YouTube ...

MixPre M-Series Tiptorial - Monitoring while Overdubbing - YouTube

Cheers.

I don't think my mixer has that feature because that is the M model for Musicians. I still think the daw has the same ability if I can figure out the settings and might be a little easier understand what's going on. Still it's nice feature. I'm also not clear what happens when you do multiple takes while overdubbing, whether it's creating multiple overdubs or overwriting the one.

[Allan Black]

Ok yep, you definitely need multiple tracks for this job, and somehow record the lead singer and piano separately. If you put them both on the same track I’d say the piano will vanish in the mix when you put the chorus on it.

Singers positions at the mic. When you record a chorus of any size, they stand in a semi circle about 5-10 feet back from a cardioid mic.

When you record chorus members one at a time, the tendency will be to stand them right in front of the mic. So position each one back from the mic about 5 feet, to simulate the first situation. The hall reverb will help the overall sound in the mix, hopefully not phasing things out.

Cheers.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Update
I figured out how to do it in my daw (Reaper). For anyone interested I set my MixPre headphones to usb, this feeds them the audio from the daw, which is a mix of whats being recorded and while playing back any track that was pre recorded..

[Paul R Johnson]

One critical thing Pete - make a note of the singers who are er, less good.Then get the better ones to do a 'safety' repeat take - then you can use two of the same people and keep the less good one low in the mix. Only tell the person in charge what you did after it's delivered and they're really happy. Then you offer to put the less good ones back in. They NEVER say yes!

[Allan Black]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

Update
I figured out how to do it in my daw (Reaper). For anyone interested I set my MixPre headphones to usb, this feeds them the audio from the daw, which is a mix of whats being recorded and while playing back any track that was pre recorded..

‘Feed them a mix of what’s being recorded’ ... ? Watch out you’ll get different opinions on that, some choristers may never have worn headphones and only want to hear the piano and lead, with one earpiece off to be able to hear themselves.

What a business, pity it’s next week. What would it take to convince the priests to put it back a couple of weeks, put the whole chorus in quarantine for 14 days, check for the virus then do it all at once.

You’ll be really out of luck if someone has it, then so could a singer coming in to record solo.

Cheers.

[Paul R Johnson]

Is there video involved or is it audio only? At least if there is no video, they can bring their own headphones in. The image is me with an opera singer - I had to fit the earpiece she was using for track - she wasn't;t able to do it herself and dress the cable so it was invisible. She could only wear one - she tried two and she sang flat - consistently flat. She'd never sung to headphones at performance volume - she was so surprised with her tuning issue - oddly, I actually expected it.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Thanks for all the advice.

I can send them only the piano, it's a bit tricky because I don't have an interface that allows multiple outs and control who gets what. I was up front when I accepted the job that I'm limited in what I can offer since I'm not an audio engineer.

I'll have to be flexible to what they want.

[Greg Miller]

Not sure whether this will help, or maybe I misunderstand something.

Since this would normally be a chorus, there would normally be a conductor. Any chance you can make a video guide track with the piano audio (and maybe one lead singer) and video showing only the conductor (as close as possible while showing all his gestures clearly)? That would help the singers not only come in on beat, but come off the note simultaneously as the conductor gives them a cue to close. Meanwhile the piano would, of course, keep them on pitch.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Greg Miller

Not sure whether this will help, or maybe I misunderstand something.

Since this would normally be a chorus, there would normally be a conductor. Any chance you can make a video guide track with the piano audio (and maybe one lead singer) and video showing only the conductor (as close as possible while showing all his gestures clearly)? That would help the singers not only come in on beat, but come off the note simultaneously as the conductor gives them a cue to close. Meanwhile the piano would, of course, keep them on pitch.

There's no conductor. I don't have any experience in this type of work so I couldn't say why. It's also a lower budget affair. This would normally done in service or similar event. I'm just following what I've seen them do with the audio engineer that I've worked with in the past.